Use Data in Setting PPKM Level

The public health campaign on plans to impose social activity restrictions (PPKM) level 3 ahead of Christmas and New Year must be intensive. To be accepted by the public, the policy needs to be based on data.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Traffic density on Jalan Otto Iskandardinata, Bogor City, West Java, during the holiday weekend, Sunday (11/21/2021). People's mobility for recreation on holidays seems to be increasing, especially in public places.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The threat of a third wave of Covid-19 in Indonesia can be prevented by regulating mobility and preventing crowds during the Christmas and New Year holidays. However, the government's plan to issue a policy on the implementation of social activity restrictions (PPKM) level 3 needs to be supported with data.

"PPKM can prevent us from the third wave of Covid-19, but actually it doesn't have to be level 3 in the whole area. The most important thing is regulating the mobility of the people and crowds during Christmas and New Year so they don't become a source of transmission," said epidemiologist at the Faculty of Public Health, University of Indonesia, Iwan Ariawan, in Jakarta, on Monday (22/11/2021).

Iwan conveyed this in response to the government's plan to implement PPKM level 3 in all regions from 24 December 2021 to 2 January 2022. "Currently, the proportion of people who already have Covid-19 antibodies either from vaccination or having been infected have already high. This is expected to help prevent an increase in post-Christmas and New Year cases," he said.

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Postgraduate director of YARSI University, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, suggested that the final decision on the level of PPKM should be set based on the most up-to-date conditions. "There is still more than a month before 24 December 2021. From our experience and the world’s, the Covid-19 situation can change in a matter of days or weeks, so the final decision should certainly be made closer to the time of its implementation," said Tjandra, who is also the former director of Infectious Diseases of the WHO Southeast Asia.

Tjandra said that we needed to be aware of the possibility of high mobility on Thursday, 23 December or before the implementation of PPKM level 3. "And also, once again, so far, of course, we don't know for sure what the epidemiological situation will be on the last day of December 2021," he said.

TANGKAPAN LAYAR

President Jokowi when giving an introduction at a limited meeting regarding the evaluation of the implementation of social activity restrictions (PPKM) on Monday (22/112021).

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, yesterday, asked all his staff to communicate the plan for implementing PPKM level 3 during Christmas and New Year to the public. The plan to implement PPKM level 3 throughout Indonesia is motivated by the increase in Covid-19 cases in several countries around the world.

"Tell [the public] the development of [global] cases, the spike of cases in Europe. This is very important. [We must inform the public] the background of the decision that we will take because there are some who reject PPKM level 3 because they want the situation to return to normal," said President Jokowi when giving an introduction to a limited meeting on the evaluation of PPKM, on Monday (22/11).

Mobility tightened

The world will be watching us, our ability to control the pandemic will be tested, especially in implementing health protocols.

The government will tighten mobility by implementing regulations in line with PPKM level 3. Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy stated that social activity restrictions in all regions across Indonesia will be carried out on 24 December to 2 January. The government can extend the period of activity restrictions if there is an increase in cases before Christmas-New Year.

The President added that the tourism sector, especially on the island of Bali, will be hardest hit. "However, it needs to be explained that if the situation is not under control, it will actually hit our economy and tourism more. Moreover, we will host 150 meetings for the G20 [Group of 20]. I really ask for this intervention in the field to be carried out,” said the President.

The series of G20 agendas will begin with the kicking off of the G20 Sherpa Meeting in Jakarta and the G20 Finance Track in Bali in early December. "The world will be watching us, our ability to control the pandemic will be tested, especially in implementing health protocols," said the President.

TANGKAPAN LAYAR

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin when giving a press statement regarding "Evaluation of the implementation of social activity restriction (PPKM), at the Presidential Office, Monday (22/11/2021)

In a press statement after the limited meeting, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin added that confirmed positive cases of Covid-19 in almost all of Europe had increased. "So, according to the direction of the President, we must be careful and alert, especially in the face of Christmas and New Year, we report that in Europe the increase was almost entirely caused by the Delta variant, or the children or grandchildren of the Delta variant," said the Health minister.

On the other hand, many countries that experienced a spike in cases are now seeing the number of cases flatten. Covid-19 cases in India, for example, flattened 195 days after the spike in cases. The same thing happened in South Africa after 134 days, Morocco after 101 days and Japan after 86 days. Now, Indonesia is entering its 124th day after the spike in cases caused by the Delta variant.

“However, we also see that there is one country, namely Sri Lanka, which has been hit by the Delta. Now it has started to increase. All incidents of cases abroad are monitored closely and reported to the President so that we are alert, especially during this Christmas period," said Budi.

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According to President Jokowi, in the past week, active cases in Indonesia decreased by 892 cases from 9,018 cases on 14 November, to 8,126 cases on 21 November. The average addition of new cases is 362 per day. "I ask all ministries and institutions, [to get on the same] frequency to face December, don't get caught up in sectoral egos. Put cooperation as the top priority," said the President.

Although the situation is under control, the government is closely monitoring 19 regencies/cities that have the potential to experience an increase in cases. To determine the level of infection and immunity, the Health Ministry in collaboration with the Home Ministry and a number of universities have been conducting an antibody survey in 34 provinces and 1,000 villages.

This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswoko.